This Good News series is about Jesus’ Believers and Disciples “GO”ing in Active Participation with Him, Wherever He Says to “Go!…” AND MAKING DISCIPLES WHO CAN MAKE DISCIPLES!

Theological Theme:

Christian Disciples are those who willingly, by grace through faith, and in loving obedience, participate with Jesus in offering their total humanity in allegiance to the Father, through the Son and in the Spirit! Christian Disciples participate with Jesus in his repentance and baptism, being incorporated into his body, the Church. Christian Disciples become fully committed to making disciples of Jesus who can make disciples of Jesus that make disciples of Jesus – in the Spirit, through the Son and to the Glory of our Father!

Christ Connection:

“When the people of Jesus follow the way of Jesus, their stories will begin to look like his story (which is beautiful but it also comes with a cost).” – The Gospel Project

We have been drawn into the self-giving, other centered, self-sacrificing and generous, loving compassion of the Father, Son and Spirit God, through Jesus Christ. And though it comes at great cost, it also comes with great joy!

Missional Application:

*Don’t just “Bring a Friend” (everyone needs Jesus!), more than that, bring a pre-disciple of Jesus to the community of the Church Body.

*Start with one person (and only more if Father has made it obvious!) When rejected, go elsewhere. Feel free to look everywhere! Talk to disciples more about Jesus than something called Christianity. Talk more about Jesus than his Church!

*Don’t worry too much about bringing others to Church at first (think relationship, home, small group first!)! A person genuinely called by Jesus will be drawn to his Body, the Bible, prayer, the Father, the Spirit and loving all people.

*Remember that life is short and death is sure and people are living under the sentence of death! Physical death and spiritual death are real but now is a day of salvation.

*We must not be lax in discipleship because of past and poor teachings but we must be renewed at the living voice of Jesus Christ! “Can these bones live??? You know Oh, Lord!”

You received Christ though the proclamation and discipleship of his Church! Now is not the time to put down the Church but to lift up and be the Church and pray for the Church! God is not limited to the Church but in his oversight of this world Jesus is building his Church (and his Church is called to participate with him and to go and make disciples of all nations).

For the purposes of discipleship: There is a “them” and an “us”! We must never confuse who Jesus is on behalf of all, and who we are as individuals distinct from him and each other! There are some of us who are knowing, loving and trusting Jesus as he draws us to himself, and some who aren’t knowing, loving or trusting Jesus as he draws them to himself!

We are to go to the nations with the authority of the risen King, for Jesus alone has the power to save. In Him also is the power for our mission as we go. We are to make disciples through the proclamation of the risen King. We are to teach the believers of our proclamation to obey all that the Father commanded us, through Jesus and in the Holy Spirit, knowing that Jesus will finish the good work He began and that He will never forsake us.

Theological Theme:

The mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ.

Christ Connection:

Before Jesus ascended to the Father, He commissioned His disciples to go into the world and make disciples of all nations. Under the authority of Jesus, we make disciples by baptizing people in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and by teaching them everything Christ commanded us. As we go, we trust in the presence of Christ, who promises to be with us on mission.

“The church is sent on mission by Jesus. It’s not that the church has a mission, but rather that the mission has a church. We join Jesus on His mission.” – Ed Stetzer

Missional Application:

The Father-Son-and-Spirit God calls us to make disciples of all nations by declaring the truth of the gospel with our words and demonstrating the reality of His love with our actions.

“God hath work to do in this world; and to desert it because of its difficulties and entanglements, is to cast off his authority. It is not enough that we be just, that we be righteous, and walk with God in holiness; but we must also serve our generation, as David did before he fell asleep. God hath a work to do; and not to help him is to oppose Him.” – John Owen (1616-1683)

This Good News series is about Jesus’ Believers and Disciples “GO”ing in Active Participation with Him, Wherever He Says to “Go!…” AND MAKING DISCIPLES WHO CAN MAKE DISCIPLES!

Theological Theme:

Christian Disciples are those who willingly, by grace through faith, and in loving obedience, participate with Jesus in offering their total humanity in allegiance to the Father, through the Son and in the Spirit! Christian Disciples participate with Jesus in his repentance and baptism, being incorporated into his body, the Church. Christian Disciples become fully committed to making disciples of Jesus who can make disciples of Jesus that make disciples of Jesus – in the Spirit, through the Son and to the Glory of our Father!

Christ Connection:

Who is Jesus? Jesus is God’s concrete love, revealing that God’s love has substance and is personal and dynamic! God Himself is his love toward us in Jesus! God the Father’s love is JESUS himself and therefore not a loosey-goosey “just do whatever you want, whenever you want” non-love that overlooks transformation. We don’t go out with a sappy sentimental human-centered love but with God’s real love (Jesus!) that supports and challenges others to receive the Spirit, personally, and become truly human, according to what the Father has made of us in Jesus and the fully human way he lives. We must remember though that God’s love respects the differences and uniqueness of each person, just as Jesus is a different and unique person. Jesus can help you discern the unique ways you might witness about him to each person, in the Spirit, without being tied down by laws and rules.

Missional Application:

Because we are united toJesus and his Father in the Love and Communion of the Holy Spirit, we go with him in his outgoing love and compassion, witnessing to all persons about him, but especially to those who don’t know and trust him yet! Disciples can and will be made by God-Father-Son-and-Spirit with our participation, so let’s go together and make disciples!

This message proclaims Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son! It proclaims how he is The Life of New Creation breaking into the present right now, by the Spirit! He has come and appeared, and is still here by the Spirit, saying he would never leave or forsake us! At one and the same time, He is also yet coming in his second appearance! Although we don’t get to experience the fullness of his life here and now, even with the Spirit (you don’t get “your best life now”), you can indeed get “your best taste now” as we await the fullness experienced in glorified human bodies! A taste may only be a taste but it’s not meaningless, rather a taste is meaningful and provides hope! We only get a taste right now or else we might think the corruption still in the world represents part of the whole thing that’s coming, and it doesn’t! We don’t want to get totally locked into the here and now and “trade our inheritance for a bowl of soup”. On the other side we don’t want to be so future-oriented only that we are of no earthly good as the Spirit lives in us to lay out the red carpet for Jesus’ soon coming return! From the Father, through Jesus and in the Spirit we can live in the tension of the “Already-but-not-yet!”

Missional Application:

We’re not just called to raise children, maintain households, make widgets and spreadsheets, and create music, do homework assignments, or oversee projects, deadlines and inventory! We’re also called to make disciples who can make disciples that the world may know Jesus starting now – as many people as possible! Others who can also begin receiving and helping to share in God’s Love and Life proclaiming the Good News of the “Wonder-full World Tomorrow – Today!” There is no discrimination or respecter of persons but to all who believe and receive in him, he gives the right to become the children of God!

This Good News series is about Jesus’ Believers and Disciples “GO”ing in Active Participation with Him, Wherever He Says to “Go!…”

Theological Theme:

What is a disciple? Disciples are those who willingly, by grace through faith, and in loving obedience, participate with Jesus in offering their total humanity in allegiance to the Father, through the Son and in the Spirit! They participate with Jesus in his repentance and baptism, being incorporated into his body, the Church, and become fully committed to making disciples of Jesus who can make disciples of Jesus that make disciples of Jesus – in the Spirit, through the Son and to the Glory of our Father!!

Christ Connection:

Who is Jesus? The Father’s Son! Our Chief brother! He’s the One Who sends the Spirit!
*He’s the one intent to fill the whole universe with his presence, which means his relationship with his Father in the fellowship of the Spirit!
*He’s the captain of our salvation Who has defeated sin, hell, death and the grave, affecting atonement and reconciliation with God, self, others and creation!
*He’s the Resurrected God/Man who has broken back into our corrupted time, cleansing and exalting it!

Missional Application:

God the Father calls us to embrace a life of participation with His Son, our Savior and Lord, and in his life of fellowship and communion, whose mission was only to seek and to do what his Father was doing, in the Spirit. What Jesus is doing now is sending out his people, even as he was sent, that the world might believe, receive and be saved! We’re actually supposed to make disciples of Jesus NOT just discuss making them!

This Good News series is about Jesus’ Believers and Disciples “GO”ing in Active Participation with Him, Wherever He Says to “Go!…”

Theological Theme:

As Christians called to Christ and in Union with him, Jesus sends the Spirit so that we can be transformed and begin to Organize and Execute our Lives Around the Father with him and his priorities! We no longer seek to live only for ourselves. Believers have died to selfishness and self-centeredness in Jesus and now we live unto the Father and for others by God’s Grace!

Christ Connection:

Immediately following his Resurrection, Jesus began to meet with his disciples, directing them to “Go” in the Spirit. In this message his disciples are encouraged to go everywhere and make disciples, encouraging and equipping those new converts to also make disciples who can make disciples that make disciples!

Missional Application:

God the Father calls us to embrace a life of participation with His Son, our Savior and Lord, and in his life of fellowship and communion, whose mission was only to seek and to do what his Father was doing, in the Spirit. What Jesus is doing now is sending out his people, even as he was sent, that the world might believe, receive and be saved!